Playas Beach Town

"Playas"

Papayas as big and
as sweet as you can imagine, Pineapples from some other planet, limes
as big as a tennis ball and so juicy you can make lemonade for 4 people
with 4 of them. Big, tasty avocados and export mangos almost for free!,
guayabas, and giant guanabanas can be bought for pennies.

All this, on the road
to "Playas" (official name: General Villamil), a small coast town on the shores of the Gulf of Guayaquil.
About an hour by car, or about -two, by bus from Guayaquil. The road (90Km.) is very good now (4 lane now-2007). Half of this road is the same one that goes to Salinas and the beaches north, Montañita, Machalilla, etc.
At "Progreso" small town where the road splits, you take a left exit, which will head
you to this quiet and easygoing town with a lovely climate year round, (best time weather May-June also best time for waves & conditions) in fact, Playas climate was named many years ago by UNICEF as "one of the best in the world", well inside the Gulf so as to be protected from the tenperate Humbolt and Peruvian
currents that cool the southern and central Ecuadorian coast during the months
of July to November.
"Playas" has a great sunny cool weather pretty much year round. Very hot and sunny on January thru' May, Cooler and partially cloudy most days from June thru' December. Best months for weather December early January. Also, and best waves & conditions May-June. Best of best time to come for surfing April-mid June.

The
Feeling

This town has a country
feeling everywhere. This is an unpretentious beach town. If you want to
have a real feeling of Ecuador's way of life, this is it. No big tourist
complex, no massive condos like Salinas or Manta and Bahia de Caraquez which all lost their charm under all this century developements. PLayas has only 2-3 condos rest are small houses the majority being working class owners. A real beach way of life at a real beach town.
The food is wonderful and cheap. The mood is casual and relaxed. This
is a town to let go and slow down in. Everybody who lives here, lives
at a slower pace. In fact, it may be hard for some of us city people to
adjust. It takes a few days. People walk or bike in the middle of the
streets oblivious to cars, trucks or buses. Of course they know you will
have to stop for them. This is their town and their way of life. It feels
great. So close to a hyperactive city (Guayaquil), but here there is a total contrast just
in an hour's drive. No wonders several families from different parts of
the world and Ecuador too, have settle down here and live a healthy and
easy life.

The vibrations of Playas are "country by the ocean". Or maybe
I should say "country by the Gulf". Miles of wide sandy beaches (about 10 miles nonstop), with balsa
sail rafts that still fish as in the time of our grandfathers and the Punaes and Huancavilca indians thousand of years ago. Bamboo
oar and cloth sail driven balsa wood rafts go paddling or sailing along the shores for hours looking
for oysters and "corvina" fish, a deliciously tender and tasty medium size bass, that can be served up anytime fresh
from the ocean which you can find all over the beach restaurants.

This is real fishing
town and these are the only type of boats you will see here, no yachts,
no big fancy sport fishers, etc. just as it has been for decades. Here
you will find all the seafood you could want, probably only comparable
to the big seafood markets in the Far East. All kinds of shrimp, squid,
crabs, giant ocean oysters, mussels, lobsters, conch, clams, mangrove
oysters, 20-30 pound snooks, and red snappers to name just few daycatches
and the famous "corvina", served with rice and a small onion salad on
top for a dollar. Oyster, fish, cockle and conch ceviche $2,oo US each.
Shrimp ceviche $3,oo US. Or "Mixto Ceviche" (all kind of seafood mixed
in one) for $ 4.ooUS! This is still the cheap Ecuador we knew sometime
ago, where you can still eat a decent meal for as low as $ 4,oo US. A GREAT PLACE TO EAT TASTY ECUADORIAN FOOD IS COMEDOR (GRILL) "ESTELITA" on corner right on beach street close to main big park (the one with skateboard park now) Try here the grilled marlin fish at night or the chicken is fantastic also the shrimp al ajillo (garlic) is just unbelievably good and cheap $6. On the main beach of town you will see the local
restaurants. These are small eating places where you will get typical
foods from $0.80 cts to $3, if desiring to be fancy; 8 dollars for lobsters
or jumbo shrimp! One plate worth trying is the "Shrimp and rice", also
the "Cazuela" (local seafood casserole) and the "Pata de Mula" (black
mangrove cockle) ceviche, also the "Encebollado "PICANTERIA "EL TIBURON" (tuna, manioc with tomato
and onion broth served hot). CAREFUL WHERE YOU EAT AS CERTAIN PLACES ARE NOT THAT CLEAN.

The
Road

To get to Playas all
you have to do is take the "To The Coast" (A la Costa) road from Guayaquil and make a left at "Progreso" (Km. 70 approximately) a small road town where the name means
"progress" but decades have passed and the town has not changed one bit!. Finally all this road to beaches from Guayaquil is a new 4 lane road finally finished! until right to arrival to "Progreso" town where you should take a left EXIT (To "Playas" or "G. Villamil"). After passing "Progreso" small village the road changes to a SINGLE 2 LANE ROAD AND NARROWS DOWN, ALSO GETS BUMPY AS THIS LAST 25 KM TO PLAYAS ARE USUALLY NOT WELL MAINTAINED. Coming
from Guayaquil you will see stopping places where you can eat ostrich
hamburgers for a $1,oo at "Agro Comercial Rio Daular" at Km. 36. You can
also stop by the "Finca Teresita" at Km. 57, where you can see wild coastal
animals like pumas, boas, caimans, monkeys, live ostriches, and get fresh
homemade cheese and yogurt. And if you are really into eating natural
foods you've got to stop at "Agro oficial" at Km. 43, a place where you
will find all the kinds of local fresh fruits and vegetables described
above for cents. You will also find fresh produce at "Cerecita" another
tiny Road Town along the way.

Worth
Visiting

Once in Playas, you
should go to see Shangrila Hills Villa, a beautiful area to the west minutes
from downtown. This area has one of the most impressive views of the Gulf
of Guayaquil with Puna Island in the background where Pizarro (a Spanish
colonizer) suffered his worst defeat. An excellent place for "Birdwatching"
in a dry tropical forest called "Tumbesian", close enough to town and
also far enough away, a special place with cool breezes, birds and its
beautiful view from the top. Balsa rafts and shrimp boats dot the gulf
on lazy net drags, ships on the horizon wait for their turn to enter the
Guayas River to get to the city's busy port. Frigate birds rule over this
landscape. Mockingbirds (Galapagos species relative) nest right in front
of you and a casual hawk or falcon glides by together with the vultures.
Flycatchers, gnatcatchers, gnatwrens, owls, swallows, mangrove cuckoos,
caciques, antbirds, orioles, endemic jays, warblers, parakeets, finches
(also Galapagos relatives), doves, anies, etc. are to be seen here. Most
of this vegetation is the origin of the Galapagos Flora.

Another place you
cant miss is the town of "El Morro", just minutes from Playas on the east.
Just ask around, and someone will tell you how to get there, or just head
toward "Cerro del Morro" rock which gave the town its name. This town's
church is a hundred years old, and in this tiny one time cattle town,
you would feel in the old west. The rock itself is locally popular for
day trips and climbing excursions. There is a small altar to the Virgin
Mary on the east flank. This was a popular town to great grandparents
from Guayaquil in their younger years, when there were no roads to the
coastal towns. In those times the only access to these places was through
the Guayas River by old time steamboats.

"Port of El Morro"
is the next close by town (4 miles) at the end of the same road. The road
ends at an "Estero" (estuary), where you can get a canoe ride on the mangrove
estuary with all its natural beauty for about $10 (an hour approximately,
5-6 people). In minutes you will be out on salt water river surrounded
by the mangrove forest and head for the meeting of the main Guayas river.
Here you will observe the estuary local school of dolphins that are friendly
and great to watch close to your boat. This is a highly recommended diversion
and in this way you will be supporting the estuary way of life. The port
is home to the people who hand harvest almost all the seafood you will
see in markets and streets of Playas. If you come here you can buy seafood
so cheap, you won't believe it and might almost feel guilty paying so
little.

Some shrimp farms
still operate around El Morro Port and it may be worth taking a look at
one of the main export products of the country and how they produce it.
Other fishing towns close by are "Data" and "Posorja". These towns are
located very close to the entrance to the Guayas River or the union of
river and sea. You will see quite an amount of traffic of big ships entering
and leaving the river. The channel between Isla Puna and Posorja is quite
narrow, so big Liners will pass by very close. This is an area where you
can see part of the common fauna and flora of the Guayas mangrove estuary,
the biggest in South America and one of the biggest in the planet. In
fact, this gulf estuary is the origin of many of the Galapagos plants
and animals, especially landbirds, reptiles, and mangrove life. The Gulf
of Guayaquil it's an important source of faunal migration by way of large
vegetation rafts that are formed during the El Niņo phenomena on mainland
Ecuador rivers. This brings all kinds of plants and animals from floods,
which in turn end up on the big Guayas river and then on the Gulf. From
there on, the Oceanic Peruvian and Humbolt Currents take all these pileup
rafts of biological material on a journey across the East Pacific westward
to the Galapagos. Any specie that survives this trip and eventually arrives
in Galapagos and finally survives the harsh island environment can settle
down as native specie. Here, at the Gulf of Guayaquil and the town of
Playas, you can see all these happening from its hills, ponds, mangroves
estuaries, beaches and waves.
For call to get information and reservations to do birdwatching, dolphin trips on estuary to river etc call to:ECOCLUB LOS DELFINES 2-529496 EMAIL: puertoelmorro@yahoo.com

The
Weather

Playas and its surroundings
have warm tropical weather year round in contrast with the rest of the
Ecuadorian coast. This is so because of its location inside the Gulf,
which is protected from the cooling effects of the Humbolt and Peruvian
currents. Waters (21-28C.) and air (20-35C.) are always agreeable and
mild. The Hottest months with scattered showers are February to April
with slight variations depending on intensity of seasons or "El Niņo"
years. The cooler and driest months are July to November; and, the months
of May-June and December-January offer the most enjoyable almost perfect
weather. Here, as in all of Ecuador, there is only a small temperature
change between seasons and especially so at Playas. This town is the "Sun
Town" of Ecuador, where you can count on many sunny days through the year.

Worth Doing

Surfing is great in
Playas; with a point break about 2 miles long. In "surfers talk" this
is super long and waves are best in the cool season (March-Nov) with an
average size of 5 feet. This is the home of the balsa surfboard and you
can get one here cheaper than any other place on earth. Made by a Master
craftsman. Also, mountain biking around the town and the surrounding roads
to the "Savannah Grande" area. This was an area of many of the biggest
and most productive shrimp farms in Ecuador (before "Mancha Blanca"-shrimp
disease). These dirt roads are a good way to get to know the small town
people and their way of living, plus the fauna (Birdwatching especially).
Beach horseback riding is another activity popular and great to do to
feel this wonderful place. Birdwatching as described above, is great (best
time February-June for landbirds and greater variety in general). Either
watching land birds with endemic species as watching waders and mangrove
estuary birds. Estuary fishing and gulf coastal fishing is great of course.
This can be arranged with any fishing skiff be the hour or day. Snook
and corvina are plentiful and you don't need a license.

Summing
it up

To sum up, Playas
is "the" town by the beach in Ecuador that you should not miss if you
want to enjoy a great relaxed time with different economical places to
stay and still get great accommodations and service. Beach walks, sunset
dwellings, food tasting, "land-sea-estuary" Birdwatching, surfing, cycling
and great weather make Playas a "must see" destination on mainland Ecuador.

· Best Weather: December-January, May-June. But there is no bad weather ever here
as in all Ecuador and especially at this area. This months are just "perfect"
weather months in comparison to the rest of the year. Pick "cool
season" months if you are not fond of hot weather. Or pick "hot
season" months if you enjoy hot & sunny days.

· How to get there: By bus: Take bus from Bus Station close by Guayaquil airport; just ask
for buses to "Playas". Cooperativa Villamil and/or Cooperativa Posorja
are your choices. By car: Ask around to road to Playas or to "la costa".
Make a left at "Progreso" road town junction.

· Food Tips: Try
to avoid eating at small places when there is a lot of people. If you
have a sensible stomach go for the bigger restaurants as they usually
have less oily plates. One highly recommended restaurant is "Los Ajos" (on same street as Cooperativa Villamil bus station about 5 blocks west).

· Water Tips: As
in all Ecuador, go for the bottle water that is good and cheap.

. SURFBOARDS (USED/rent) AND BALSA: To get a used board last minute call Juan at Restaurant "JALISCO" cel: 086027735 ( locofuanand for any surfing drections even free guiding certain lucky days. For getting a Balsa board made or maybe buy right away if in stock call "AFRO" Lucho at Cel 092911663 or write to afrobalsa@yahoo.com

Playas seafood market
by the beach. The best prices and the best fresh "catch of the day""El Morro Port" village, just 10 minutes from Playas, a very old town
resembling the old west. Right by the Morro estuary and where you can
get
on a fishing expedition
Typical cool season swell and conditions.
August 2001

Playas view from ShangriLa
Hills

Ceibo tree by Guayaquil-Playas
road

Playas mainstreet

Playas "central
Park"

Playas PCHwy, and beach restaurants

Road from Guayaquil to beaches (Playas, Salinas, Motanita, etc) now finally are almost completly finished to 4 LANE MAIN ROAD. CAREFUL AT NIGHT CLOSE TO PROGRESO AND GOING TO SALINAS.

Middle of road between Progreso and "Playas"

Encebollado dish & hotsauce

Daycatch on Isla Sta Clara. Fishing here is more pristine than Galapagos.

"Cerecita" road town fruits & vegetables.

"Cazuela", Lobster, Pangora Crab, Red Crab, Oysters and "Pata de Mula" conch. Insane killer after- surf natural seafoods. After a meal of this, your girlfriend will not sleep for hours....
Best "encebollado" in town.
About 20 miles on the road from Guayaquil to Playas
El Morro Rock, 5 minutes from downtown Playas on the way to El Morro town
and Port. Amazing sunsets can be watch from here. Also great camping.